Liquid door check and closer



(No Model.) 3 sheets shet 1.

" J. S; SHRAWDER.

LIQUID DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER. N0. 549,589. Patented NOV. 12, 1895. v

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(No Model.)

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SHRAWDER LIQUID noon-011301; AND cnosnn.

Patented *Nov. 12,1895.

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J. s; SHRAWDER. LIQUID DOOR .GHEGK AND CLOSER.

No. 549,589. Patented'Nov. 12, 1895.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. SHRAWVDER, OF ARCOLA, ASSIGNOR TO J. WALTER DOUGLASS, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LIQUID DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,589, dated November12, 1895.

Application filed June 15, 1895. Serial No. 552,887. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN S. SHRAWDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Arcola, in the county of Montgomery and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLiquid Door Checks and Closers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has relation to a liquid door check and closer operating bymeans of a piston working within a liquid chamber or cylinder,and itrelates more particularly to the general construction and arrangement ofsuch an appliance.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide a liquiddoor check and closer in which the piston traverses a liquid-chamber ina direction parallel with the springcontrolled shaft of the check;second, to provide .in a liquid door check and closer of the characterdescribed, in connection with a piston, a liquid-chamber having at itsbottom an inlet controlled by a check-valve and an outlet controlled bya relief-valve; third, to provide in a liquid door check and closer ofthe character described a spring-controlled adjustable relief-valve toregulate the outlet from the liquid-chamber, and, fourth, to provide aliquid door check and closer having the parts of the same greatlysimplified and reduced for the effective action thereof.

My invention, stated in general terms, consists of a liquiddoor checkand closer constructed, arranged, and adapted for operation insubstantially the manner hereinafter de scribed and claimed.

The nature, general features, and scope of my invention will be morefully understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which:-

Figure l is a front elevationalview of a liquid door check and closerembodying features of my invention, showing the same secured inoperative position to a door and the jamb thereof. Fig. 2 is a top orplan view of the check and closer, certain portions of the connectionbetween the check and door being broken off. Fig. 3 is a transversevertical section of the check and closer on the line 0c 00 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the check and closer on the line y y ofFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the check, taken on the line5 5 of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a similar sectional View on the line 6 6 ofFig. 4. Fig. 7 is a similar section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 4; andFig. 8 is a front elevational view, enlarged, of the adjustable andspring-controlled relief-valve of the liquidchamber.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a vertical cylinder consistingof the upper housing or casing (1, within which the spring D and theoperating mechanism for the piston are incased, the middle portion aconstituting the liquid-chamber L, which is traversed by a piston B. ais the lower portion, constituting the inlet to the liquidchamber, inwhich is located a check valve of. The spring D consists of a leafspring coiled around the shaft E, one end d of said spring being securedto a collar 6, mounted on said shaft, while the other end d of saidspring is, secured to a pin or projection a of the casing a,substantially as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Secured to the collar eand loosely mounted on the shaft E is a ratchet-wheel e, the teeth ofwhich are engaged by a pawl 6 pivoted to an arm f, which in turn isconnected at one end with the shaftE, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Securedto the free end of the arm f is an adjustable link or connecting-rod f,which is also secured in a hollow arm or sleeve f by means of aset-screw f This sleeve f 2 is pivoted in a bearing f adapted to besecured to a door-jamb f as illustrated in Fig. 1. The cylinder A isprovided with a back plate or bracket A adapted to be screwed orotherwise fastened to the door A and to support the cylinder inoperative position.

The shaft E extends within the casing a and is supported at its lowerend by a plate g, the ends g of which fit into the internal grooves g ofthe casing a, substantially in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 of thedrawings.

Mounted on the shaft E and within the easing a is a cam device H,consisting of the upper and lower cams h and 7t, and between these camsis located a conical-shaped roller I, the shaft 6 of'which has a bearingin a bracket J, the ends j of which are guided in the internal grooves gof the casing a. The

bracket J carries at its lower end the pistonlJd K, which may be securedto the bracket by means of a screw or by any other suitable contrivanee.On the piston-rod K and clamped between the two disks 7t and k is aleather cup 7c, fitting snugly in the liquidchamber L, which iscontained in the middle portion a" of the cylinder A. This leather orsimilar cup 7c constitutes the head for the piston-rod K.

Immediately below the liquid-chamber L, and having acentrallylocatedopening m, communicating therewith, is a chamber M, having a seat in, onwhich the weighted cheek-valve m is adapted to rest. Below the scat m isa compartment m communicating by means of the channel m at right anglesto the compartment m with a liquidway 2'11", parallel with theliquid-chamber L and provided in one of the walls thereof. This way onterminates at the upper end of the liquid-chamber L, substantially inthe manner illustrated in Fig. -1L of the drawings.

At the side of the chamber L and at or near its bottom is located anopenin g or channel 12, communicating with a way 21,, at right anglesthereto, which way a is parallel with the liquid-chamber L and providedin one of the walls thereof. The upper end of this way a terminates atthe upper end of the liquidchamber L, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Theupper end of the way a is controlled by a re lief-valve N,theconstruction of which is illustrated in detail in Fig. 8 of thedrawings. This relief-valve consists of a hollow plug or stem 1),fitting down upon the upper end of the way and closing the channel 0,communicating between the chamber L and way a. This hollow plug 17 isscrewed to the end of the spindle p,which extends upward through thecompartment a and terminates in a button 11 outside of the cylinder Aand at the top thereof.

Between the upper end of the hollow plug 1) and the inner side of theupper wall of the chamber a and around the spindle p is coiled a spring19 which serves to seat the plug p down upon the way 21. In the side ofthe plug 2) is provided an opening 1)", which may be wholly or partiallyclosed when the spindle 1) is screwed down into the hollow plug p. Thisopening 1)" communicates with the chamber a above the liquid-chamber L.The chambers L and a are always in open communication with each otherthrough the plate g, which is cut away, as at g, to permit of theup-and-down movement of the lower end of the bracket J, as clearlyillustrated in Figs.

and a.

In the casing a, at the top, is provided an opening a, which is adaptedto afford a means for filling or replenishing liquid in the check. Thisopening is normally closed by a screwplug, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3,and 5.

The mode of operation of the liquid door check and closer hereinbeforedescribed is as follows: The check and closer is secured to the door Aand the bearing f is applied and secured to the door-jamb f. The arm fand link f are then secured to the hollow arm f of the bearingf". \Vhenthe door is opened inwardly, the shaft E will be revolved and the coiledleaf-spring D will be tightened or compressed. By the revolution of theshaft E the cam device II in turning will elevate the piston 7c in theliquid-chamber L, this being accomplished by means of thebracket .I anditsroller I. During the upward movement of the piston k 'in theliquid-chamber the liquid therein is elevated until it overflows in adownward direction through the way an. and into the compartment on underthe checkvalve m The liquid, in conjunction with the suction produced bythe piston in its upward travel, will sui'lice to lift the weightedcheckvalve m from its seat, permitting the liquid. to enter the chamberM and then to pass into the liquid chamber L below the piston throughthe central openin 711. After the door has been opened to its widestextent the leaf-spring D in unwinding will turn the shaft E in theopposite direction, and the shaft 15, through the cam device ll, rollerI, and bracket J, will depress the piston 70 in the liquid-chamber L.The downward movement of the piston will, however, compress the liquidin the chamberL, thus closing the checkvalve on on its seat andpreventing return of the liquid through the way an. The liquid is thencompelled to escape through the way a, the outlet of which maybecontrolled in two ways by the relief-valve N. If the openin g1) isentirely closed by screwing down the spindle p into the plug, the liquidwhen forced through the way a will lift the plug and spindle against theinfluence of the spring until the passage 0 is open, when the liquidwill escapeinto the liquid-chamber above the piston k. If, however, theopening 17* is not obstructed by the spindle p, or only partially so,the liquid will partially elevate the plug of the way a at the beginningof the return of the door, and the liquid will thereafter escape throughthe hollow plug and the opening jf into the chamber a, and then into theliquid -chamber L. By combining the regulation of the valve N-that is tosay, regulating the size of the opening 17 by screwing the spindlep,--and regulating the tension of the spring 1) in the same manner-thatis to say, compressing the spring 1')" between the easin g a and theplug by advancing the spindle into the plug-the closing force of thecoiled leaf-spring D may be easily and read.- ily compensated for 5 and,moreover, no matter what the weight of the door may be or the distanceit has to travel the closing thereof will be accomplished in a completeand gradual manner, with all slamming or jarring avoided.

The mechanism for operating the piston forms no part of the presentinvention, for it is manifest that mechanism other than that shown anddescribed may be devised for raising and lowering the piston in theliquid-chamber. The placing of the cup-shaped pistonhead 10 betweenclamping-washers k and k enables me, by simply screwing the washer k onthe piston-rod K, to expand the head 10 so that the same may fit tightlyagainst the walls of the chamber L, and thus compensate for wear andtear on the piston-head.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A liquid door check and closer, comprising a liquid chamber having aninlet and an outlet, a spring controlled shaft, a piston adapted totraverse the liquid chamber in a direction parallel to said shaft whensaid shaft is rotated, a check valve controlling the inlet to the liquidchamber to permit of the flow of liquid therein when the piston isactuated in one direction by said shaft and to close the inlet when thepiston is actuated in the reverse direction, a hollow plug provided withan opening constituting a relief valve for the outlet of said liquidchamber, a spindle adjustable in said plug and regulating the openingthereof, and a spring coiled about said spindle to normally close saidplug down upon the outlet of the liquid chamber, substantially asdescribed.

2. A liquid door check and closer, comprising a cylinder arranged inthree vertical sections, a piston, mechanism placed in the upper sectionof the cylinder adapted to operate said piston vertically to cause thesame to traverse the second section or liquid chamber of the cylinder, aspring controlled shaft placed in said upper section parallel with theline of travel of the piston, a check-valve placed between the secondand lower sections to control the inlet to said second or liquidchamher, a way provided between and connecting the liquid chamber withthe upper section, a hollow plug provided with an opening andcontrolling the outlet of said way to constitute a relief-valve for saidliquid chamber, a spindle adjustable in said plug and adapted to controlthe opening therein, a spring coiled about said spindle and adapted tobe compressed or released when the spindle is advanced in or drawn outof said plug, said spring adapted to seat the plug upon the outlet ofthe way to close the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN S. SHRAWDER. lVitnesses:

THoMAs M. SMITH,

RICHARD O. MAXWELL.

